Australia's military stuck in the 'wilderness' over climate change, former ADF chief says

Australia's military planners have neglected climate change threats to the country and neighbours, leaving forces under-prepared for imminent and far-ranging challenges, say two retired senior officers – including a former Australian Defence Force chief.

"I don't think it's any secret that we've spent three years in the wilderness" on these issues, Chris Barrie, a former admiral who served as ADF chief from 1998 to 2002, told Fairfax Media.

Military leaders are concerned that planning for the effects of global warming has been stymied by politics.Credit:Ian Hitchcock

Admiral Barrie said a changing climate would place limits on the ADF's capabilities just as demands for involvement on humanitarian and security grounds increased. The risks range from rising sea-levels inundating low-lying military bases to extreme heat affecting troops' health.

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Former prime minister Tony Abbott's aversion to making global warming a priority meant the issue was downplayed. "When the Abbott government said you will not use the words 'climate change', the senior leadership had to do as it was directed, but at the same time they know this is important work," Admiral Barrie said.

Retired admiral Chris Barrie says climate change has not got the attention it deserves in the ADF.Credit:Andrew Taylor

The challenges may be illustrated within weeks if - as expected by aid groups and others - Papua New Guinea seeks help from Australia to deliver urgently needed food to remote highland villages hard-hit by the unfolding El Nino-linked drought.

"If the situation gets out of hand, and by that I mean people are starving, they will act unlawfully and then it turns out in a monster security situation," he said.

Michael Thomas, an army major who retired in June after 22 years of service, said the politicisation of climate change had been "a huge distraction to defence".

"There are pockets of interest within the military on the subject but it's not something that has captured the attention of our senior leadership," Major Thomas said.

Both former military leaders outlined concerns in a recent report they wrote for the Climate Council and will lead a two-day panel at the Australian Defence Force Academy next week. They also detect a change of policy under new Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

A Defence spokesperson said the department "has been actively monitoring and addressing the impacts of climate change for a number of years".

The upcoming Defence White Paper - originally due for completion last September - will address the full ranges of challenges facing the ADF out to 2035 "including the security implications of climate variability and extreme weather events in our region and beyond", the spokesperson said.